Saturday, November 21, 2015

Saturday's Free For All. By Geniusofdespair

No free products. Sorry, what is free: For you to discuss any topic on your mind (not me). Reach a larger audience with your message on Eye on Miami. You cannot accuse someone of a crime but pretty much, you are free to discuss what you would like. Again -- no vendettas. I don't enjoy reading Hatfield and McCoy type feuds.

I have a beef. The traffic in Miami is out of control. Brickell is at a standstill. I95 is charging over ten dollars for a Lexus Lane that is slower than the rest of the traffic. Trying to get to Cutler Bay takes hours at rush hour. Going West is even worse. Where are we going, or should I say, where am I going with this: Too many people in cars, that is my beef. Get out of your car so I can drive and be on time for once.

The annual Everglades Coalition meeting is being held in Miami at the Biltmore January 8 and 9th. go to info@evergladescoalition.orgThere is free tuition for a limited number of students. Contact Laura Reynolds at Tropical Audubon Society to sign up.

Everyone complains about traffic. The area used to have electric trolly's running on tracks in major roadways. The past politicians decided to do away with that and substituted busses (big lobbying campaign) instead. We now have some minor train, trolly, bus and rail that does not come close to meeting the travel needs of the area. Thus the car is the only alternative, and gridlock for all.

Tonight, a group of middle to advance age members of the organization known as Pedro Pan will celebrate its yearly reunion at the Biltmore Hotel. These are the children that left Cuba in 1961-1962 through the kindness of the Catholic Church, specifically Monsignor Walsh and many other well meaning Americans. The parents of those children sent them abroad to a new land to save them from the disaster we have come to know as "communism". Sadly, 56 years after the Castro brothers took over Cuba, they remain in power and gearing up their children to become the next rulers in place. The Cuban Revolution was nothing more than anarchism is disguise. It has destroyed every Cuban family, infected Latin America with guerrillas and warfare and introduced every criminal venture from narcotics, cargo theft, Medicaid fraud to the United States. Cubans are responsible for their political future; however, support for freedom and democracy for all Cubans by the international community is always welcomed.

There has been a backlash against driverless cars while in development, suggesting use for criminal activity and being crash prone. I say the insurance companies and lawyers are not happy at the prospect of losing billions of dollars annually to a problem that can B solved through technology rather than exorbitant I insurance premiums and traffic lawsuit. Efficiency is their loss.

Former Miami Commissioner Sarnoff is finally out of power, hopefully for ever. He found a way to alienate most of the voting public and used the DDA to public a book of his "accomplishments". Besides raising a ton of money for his wife (puppet) to succeed him, the public made the right decision in the recent election.As a supporter of Gov. Scott, Sarnoff will try to weasel his way back into some form of power, that is all he knows. He always supports developers, lobbyists, and connected players at the public expense. Lets hope his fades away.

"In 2003, when France opposed going to war in Iraq, the U.S. took the next logical step: its House of Representatives' cafeterias stopped serving French fries. They served "freedom fries" instead.Mar 28, 2011". How quickly we forget.

Cutler Bay Council will soon be considering a comp plan change and zoning change on Old Cutler and SW 184th that nobody wants. Heads up community... contact mayor and council and stay tuned for hearing dates in early 2016!

Why is it that just about every time a developer buys a property, they hire a powerful zoning attorney to petition the City of Miami or MDC for up-zoning for greater height and density. They always promise that they will deliver a better building, improve the neighborhood, create employment opportunities and bring increased property taxes to our general fund. They request to build really high and out of scale projects, but with enough neighborhood resistance, they will eventual compromise and just build a moderately high and out of scale project. Why must every project be a battle between the developer and the out lawyered neighbors? Residents are not permitted to change the zoning of their house and neither should we allow developers to expect that they can do so. Miami recently invested a great deal of funds and time creating our new zoning code Miami-21. So why don’t we respect it? Let developers know that they can build what the property is zoned for. Just don’t even think of requesting it to be up-zoned. In fact, remove the power to vote for up-zoning from the Commissioners all together. They have enough on their plate with budgets, pensions, transportation, photo-ops, ribbon cutting ceremonies and campaigning for reelection. If Commissioners no longer hear up-zoning cases, then they will not have to feel obligated to vote in favor of them, just because the developer was a donor to their election campaign. It will be a relief to the Commissioners to no longer feel they are compromising their principles. If a project is significant enough that it will forever alter the quality of life of a neighborhood, than the possible rezoning must be put to a public referandium. Let those that will be the most effected decide the future of their own neighborhood and not a Commissioner that will eventually be long gone and not be here to live with the consequences. Who are our elected leaders that will be brave enough to just say "NO" to up-zoning?

ANON ABOVE who mentioned defeated Sarnoff as being devoted to developers,lobbyists,connected players--(campaign contributors) we have the same problem with Pepe Diaz, BCC member who loves them like "Key West key lime Corona." His recent vote on Application #7 said so, and you know he will vote for Application #8 come Dec 7Why is he always voted in when being re-elected??? Shouldn't "term limits" kick in soon!!

I like the "Free For All" concept. My two cents: Mayor Gimenez may be the most corrupt official who ever occupied a position of power in Miami. He may not be personally on the take, but every member of his family is on the payroll of a county contractor, or is participating in a lobbyist shakedown. His fundraising machine is directly tied to every major procurement at the County. And the circle of influence peddlers that surround him are low-brow thugs posing as consultants and lawyers. I am disgusted, and wish I could take back my vote for him.

city of north miami officials so friggin excited over development of biscayne landing or whatevr awful name they call it now- has anyone done the math on the number of additional cars it will add to biscayne blvd? traffic is already disgustingly awful and yet all city officials see is tax revenue from that development- so shortsighted!

I absolutely hate the entire "West End" renaming of the West Kendall Regional LIbrary. It's offensive because it's been forced upon my neighbors by our Commissioner. This branding was NOT something that anyone but Juan Zapata wanted. It's just another insult to the library that was kicked around by this same commissioner in 2013 and 2014 when he didn't think it was worth funding then he makes the library spend thousands changing paperwork, signs, etc. This silly change shows that he is far from being fiscally conservative.